About the Islands of Sicily & Sardinia

By Monica Larner

Sicily is not only located in the heart of the Mediterranean—at the intersection of civilization’s greatest cardinal points—but its vulnerable, beautiful coastline is a permeable membrane that has enabled the passage of people and ideas for millennia. As those foreign influences accumulated, they created the base of the ever-fluid Sicilian identity, one both hospitable and protective of regional character.

They are also among the Mediterranean’s most prolific farmers with grapevines planted across the island. The history of modern Italian wine starts with Marsala, the fortified wine that became a global export in the late 1770s. More recently, a group of savvy vintners with a keen eye for international trends spurred the “Sicilian wine renaissance” in which the “Sicily” brand became synonymous with value and quality, Nero d’Avola became a powerful symbol of the indigenous varieties craze that has since defined much of Italian wine, and the romantic Mt. Etna denomination became synonymous with savvy emerging subzones.

The theme of borderless vision can also be applied to the wines of Sardinia, the Aeolian archipelago and Pantelleria (where delicious sweet wines are made). Sardinia is poised to become the next great wine island thanks to its wealth of indigenous grapes and forward-looking producers.

Festa Del Vino

On November 11, St. Martin’s Day in the Catholic Church, Sicily holds its annual Festa del Vino. Supposedly this day marks the moment when the new wine is ready for consumption: “Il giorno di San Martino il mosto diventa vino,” they say (“On St. Martin’s day grape juice becomes wine”).

Nerello Mascalese/Nerello Cappuccio: Often likened to Pinot Noir, these two native varieties farmed on Mt. Etna are particularly well suited to rich volcanic soils. They show power, elegance and the ability to age with grace.